A Love for Lavender - June 2018

By Michelle Cubin, Vancouver, BC, Vancouver, BC

Lavender, mostly known for its beautiful relaxing scent, often seen in sachets and spas, is so much more that a pretty smell. This purple scented flower, native to the Mediterranean, has countless unknown healing properties. I have spent years enjoying the scent of lavender- diffusing it, adding it to the bath for relaxation, however, it wasn't till recently that I learned how useful this little miracle really is.

In the early 1900's a French scientist, Rene Gattefosse burned his hand in a libratory, having nothing else around to put out the flame, he immersed his hand in a container of lavender, only to find that the pain dissipated immediately. He then put lavender on it daily and within a short time, it healed free of scarring. Amazed, he went on to study the beautiful plant and found it had chemical constituents, or chemical properties, it was Gattefosse that coined the phrase 'aromatherpie' in 1920.

Out on our first camping trip, I spent a little too much time soaking up the sun, only to waken the next morning with quite a burn on my nose and lips. I kept applying chap stick over and over as I had never quite felt my lips so sore. Upon taking a closer look in the mirror, I discovered my lips were actually blistering from the burn-- taking a quick peek in my aromatherapy bible, I saw that lavender was the best solution so I dabbed it on, undiluted, and instantly felt relief after 3 days of suffering. Later on, I dabbed a bit more on and by suppertime, blisters were gone and lips were fine. Excited at my new discovery, I had a client come in who had just had laser surgery on a birthmark, this was her second surgery in the last year to remove the mark. She had a small map of burns across her cheek and was applying a over the counter brand to help it. I quickly blended her a mixture of lavender with a small amount of grape seed oil, she dabbed it on and was also surprised how quickly the burning sensation dissipated. The following day, I received and email from her saying that she woke up to find the laser marks almost half healed, contrary to the weeks it took on her last surgery.

There are many amazing healing properties of all essential oils but in this time of 'quick fixes' and 'prescriptions' being our first instinct, a lot of the value of essential oils go unnoticed, or what I find when talking to people, is that they just didn't know about it, didn't think it was possible that a natural product from Mother Earth could work as well as a manufactured one. What I am finding on my essential oil journey is that more often than not, these little blessings, essential oils, work faster and more effectively.

Buying: Now having said that, as with anything on the market, you have lots of choices on purchasing lavender because it does have a great reputation for its beautiful smell and deeply relaxing quality, however, not all lavender products are real lavender. You want to stay away from synthetic lavender candles, detergents, soaps and so on. If the product is organic, you can read the label to ensure the lavender is pure and not synthetic. Your best bet is to find a good quality lavender essential oil and add it yourself to baths, burns, washing machine. The lavender should meet the ISO standard and if possible, find out where the supplier gets their oils from. There is also the option of muscle testing your oils if you’re familiar with that, or tap into your intuition and FEEL the oil, go with that gut instinct.

Growing: Even though lavender prefers the Mediterranean climate, it does grow most places easily, as we all know, the Brits love lavender in their English gardens and its anything but dry there. The main thing is to avoid dampness with lavender, it doesn't need much room to spare in its pot, an inch or two outside the bulb is perfect. It thrives out of the wind, so up against a brick wall is ideal. The soil should be well drained and have plenty of sun and if you live in a colder climate, bring your lavender in for the winter months. Pluck the lavender flowers off regularly and avoid pruning in the winter until you see some new green growth at the base.

The Many Magical Uses:

Headaches-gently massage just a few drops around head, neck and shoulder.

insect repellant:add a few drops to a little sunflower oil and rub on skin

moths:keep lavender sachets in closet to keep moths away

acne, eczema and other skin problems, just a few drops or add to organic face creams

sleep: add drop to pillow, warm bath or cloth and inhale

add to washer, as well as water bottles to freshen house, furniture...even pets.

A few drops goes along way, be careful not to over do it!! As you can see, lavender is a must have around the house, the uses are limitless and simple.There are many search engines on the internet that provide recipes, uses and dilution instructions. With all essential oils, less is MORE.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERThis information and research is intended to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All material in this article is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this newsletter / e-magazine / website. Readers should consult their doctor and other qualified health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided in this newsletter / e-magazine/website are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors. Readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions. OK in Health is not responsible for the information in these articles or for any content included in this article which is intended as a guide only and should not be used as a substitute to seeking professional advice from either your doctor or a registered specialist for yourself or anyone else.

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